Hood clamp



Patented May 22?, 1923.

l UNITE STATES] PATENT oricr..

FRANK MUELLER, OF SCRANTON, .'PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR A'10 MUELLER ENGI-NEEBING COMPANY, OF lSCRLANTON, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENN-SYLVAN IA.

HOOD CLAMP.

Application led May 18, 1922. Serial No. 561,885.

To all whom. t may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANK MUELLER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Scranton, in the county of Lackawanna and State ofPennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Hood Clamps,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to automobile hood clamps, and has for one of itschief characteristics, the provision of a clamp designed to not onlyexert a downward pressure upon the hood, but to also cause a lateralpressure against the side of the hood, to hold it in its properposition, and to prevent relative movement of the hood with respect toits support, which frequently results in squeaking or rattling noises.

In carrying out the invention, I make use of a barrel mounted forpivotal movement, and in which barrel operates a spring pressed plungerwhich supports a pivoted handle, the latter beine designed to engage abracket secured to the side of the hood, and arrange the said handle,barrel, and hinge in an eccentric alinement, to insure inward or lateralpressure against the hood, as well asa downward pressure thereon for thepurpose above mentioned.

Another object of the invention resides in providing the bracket and thehandle with a seat of angular formation in cross section, whichcooperates with the handle in a manv ner to prevent-distortion of theentire clamp and the twisting and breaking of the plunger under allcircumstances.

The nature and advantages ofthe invention will be better understood whenthe following detailed description isl read in connection with theaccompanying drawing, the 40 invention residing in the construction,comabination, and arrangement of parts as claimed.

In the drawing forming part of this application, y.like numerals ofreference indicate similar parts in the. several views, and wherein:-

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the hoodclamp forming the-subjectmatter of the invention, andfshowing it associated with the bracketadapted to be associated with the hood of a motor operated-vehicle. Y

Figure 2 isa view taken at a right angle to Figurel.

Figure 3 is a detail View of the bracket above referred to.

Figure 4 is a detail view of the handle.

Figure 5 is a sectional view takenon line 5 5 of Figure 2.

Referring to thedrawing in detail,;AA indicates generally the clampforming the subject matter of the invention, and which clamp is designedfor use in conjunction with hoods of automobile constructions. Asillustrated, this clamp embodies a cylinder 10, the interior of whichhas a hexagon shape, although the exterior is preferably round. Thecylinder is mounted for swinging movement upon a pivot 11, the latterbeing associated with spaced parallel lugs 12 rising from a base plate13, and the latter is adapted to be secured to the frame of the vehicleY (not shown) or any other appropriate part thereof. Slidable within thecylinder il() is a plunger including a reduced threaded portion 15, anda larger portion 16 which is preferably square in cross section, passingthrough a similarly shaped opening at the upper end of the cylinder toprevent rotation of the plunger. A nut 17 is threaded on the lowervportion 15 of the plunger, and bearing against this nut. is the adjacentend of a spring 19r which surrounds the plunger and has its upper endbearing against the adja- .Cent end of the cylinder 10. The plungerterminates at its upper end to provide a forked extremity 20, betweenthe portions of which is pivoted a handle 21, and the lower end of thehandle which operates within the forked extremity is provided with a V-shaped notch 22. This handle is adapted to engage a bracket which isadapted to be se-' cured to the hood of the vehicle (not shown),

and which bracket includes a plate 23 from bracket, thus holding thehandle from casual" separation from the bracket as will be readilyunderstood. It will be noted'upon inspection of Figure 2, that thehandle, barrel and hinge for the latter are arranged in an eccentricalinement when the clamp is in use, or in other words, associated withthe bracket above described, and by reason of this arrangement, alateralI pressure inwardly against'the hood is provided in addition to adownward pressure upon the hood, with a view of holding the latterimmovably arranged in its proper position. Vhen the notch in the handleengages its Correspondingly shaped seat 26, the forked extremity of theplunger is arranged or maintained in center, and the.A arrangementprevents any distortion of thel clamp in its entirety, or any twistingor breaking of the plunger which operates in the cylinder.

It will be noted that the spring 19 arranged within the barrel 10 can beeasily adjusted to regulate its tension as the occasion may require, andall that is necessary to this end, is to remove the pin 11, separatingthe barrel from the base. This spring will then force the plungerdownwardly, bringing the reduced rounded portion within the squaredopening in the upper end of the barrel, which permits the -rod to beturned, while the hexagon nut 17 remains in the correspondingly shapedportion of the barrel 10, which effects an adjustment of the nut for thepurpose stated. After this adjustment, the barrel 10 is associated withthe base and the pin 11 replaced in its position. An important featureof the invention hereinabove described and clearly illustrated in thedrawing, resides in the fact that the spring 19 cannot be casually orotherwise adjusted, either by the owner of the vehicle, or by lmechanicsor others who from time to time must necessarily use the hood clamps.This is due to the fact that the barrel 1() must be wholly disassociatedfrom the base 13 by first removing the bolt 11. inasmuch as the plungercannot be moved downwardly to scribed, and that such changes may be resorted to when desired as fall within the scope of what is claimed.l

What I claim is A hood clamp comprising a base, apertured lugs risingtherefrom, a hollow member pivoted between said lugs, said member havinga cylindrical outer surface and an angularly shaped inner surface andhaving a squared opening in the top thereof, a

plunger slidable in said member and including spaced cylindricalportions and an intermediate squared portion to prevent turning of theplunger within the member, one of said cylindrical portions beingthreaded, an adjusting nut associated with said threaded portion andhaving a shape corresponding to the angular conguration of the interiorof the member, the nut being held against rotation within the interiorof said member, a spring surrounding the plunger and bearing againstsaid nut and the upper end of said member, said spring being adjusted bythe disconnection of said member from sala base to permit the plunger tobe depressed and rotated within the member but with respect to said nut`said rotation being e'ected by engagement of the other of saidcylindrical portions of said plunger, within the squared opening of saidmember, a fork like terminal formed on the upper end of said plunger.and a handle pivoted on said fork.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

FRANK MUELLER.

